Friday 9 December 2016

Work in Westport Group Show

I have a drawing in a group exhibition opening this Sunday (December 11th) at Custom House Studios in Westport. The gallery contacted artists who have worked with them through out the year and invited us to show in their winter exhibition. There's a lot of artists showing in the exhibition, 37 in all. The exhibition is titled Winter Exhibition 2016 and it runs from December 11th to January 21st 2017. The gallery also hired a courier to pick up the work from artists over this side of the country which was great, otherwise to get from Laois to Westport I would've had to get a train to either Athlone or Dublin and go from there across.

The piece that I have showing is To Catch a Certain Fortune, it's one of the pieces that I first exhibited at Birr Arts Festival. The piece overall measures 100cm x 70 cm but below is a close up shot.
To Catch a Certain Fortune (Detail), Graphite on Paper, 2016

Saturday 22 October 2016

Work in Fresh Paint Magazine Issue 15

I have 2 paintings featured in this months issue of Fresh Paint Magazine. I was delighted when I found out and i received my copy of the magazine two weeks ago. There's a good number of artists featured in the issue. The featured artists were selected by Jemma Hickman who launched the Bo-Lee Gallery in London. I have 2 pictures of my pages below, the first page has Beneath the Lonely Rath on it along with a short biography, the second page has A Solitary Mountain and Old Ruin and my artist statement.

                                                      



 



And here are detailed shots of the 2 paintings that were featured. They're both oil on canvas.


Within the Lonely Rath, 2016


 
A Solitary Mountain and Old Ruin, 2015

Friday 14 October 2016

Work in Glasgow Group Show

The second exhibition of the New York - Glasgow exchange curated by Anna Bauer and Benjamin Lee Sperry is opening this weekend at Gallery Celine in Glasgow, Scotland. Opening reception is 3pm - 5pm and is titled Collective Memory (the past and future is ours). I'm not sure what's happening after Glasgow, I think there were talks of possibly bringing the show to Dublin and if it happens I'll post it here on the blog.



The pice I have in the show, To Catch a Certain Fortune, Ink on Paper, 2016

Saturday 1 October 2016

Work in New York Group Show

I have a small A4 drawing in a group show in New York. The exhibition is curated by friend and artist Anna Bauer and Benjamin Lee Sperry and is titled Collective Memory (the past and future is ours), it's comprised of a crowd of us that are based in Ireland, artists from Glasgow and artists from New York and it opened today with a reception from 4 - 6pm. I think the show runs just for today as part of Bushwick Open Studios.




This is the piece I have in it (minus the tablecloth), I liked the image from a previous drawing so I decided to rework it in ink specifically for this show. The reason I'm a little late with the blog post is because I've been painting all week and could get away from it so this is the first few minutes I've had after completing a new, small oil painting. The location of the exhibition is at 28 scott ave. #114 Brooklyn NY 11237

Saturday 24 September 2016

Installation Shots of Westport and Birr

I'm a bit late with these, the exhibition in Birr closed on August 5th and Westport closed on the 21st of August. Both shows went really well and the work received very positive feedback.

Treasures Remembered



The image above and the one below are from Custom House Studios in Westport, I didn't get a chance to take photos on the opening night so I ran down the following morning to get a few photos quickly before going home.


My work was installed on 3 walls. The fourth wall is almost completely glass and as the front of the gallery opens out onto the seafront there is great, unobstructed  natural light in the space. The ground floor is a gallery divided in two and the door in the image at the top leads into the adjoining space where Barabara Trawinski was exhibiting. 



To Catch a Certain Fortune

For this show I decided to work on a series of drawings, I'd been planning to work on them for last years festival but with the MFA finishing up I was just too busy painting, I finally got them done for this year. I need to document them at some stage and I'll have them uploaded to the website and here on the blog.







I was back down in The Vaults this year. There were a good group of us exhibiting solo shows throughout the space and there was brilliant amount of work with artists show, painting, illustration, animation and video game character design.





The lighting was a little bit of a challenge simply because I used a single bulb and while it was bright enough a day or two after installation there was a fault with the sockets down along the tunnel wall but Ian Keaveny who was exhibiting in the tunnel on the other side told me that I could plug the light into a socket in his space. 


I'm hoping to expand on the overall number of drawings in this body of work at some stage but for now I'm back painting. I have a new set of paintings on the go. I'm hoping to organize a solo show for the 4 quarter of 2017 but at present the next solo exhibition that I have planned is at Birr Arts Centre for 2018. The provisional date is April.

Out of Divilment, Graphite on Fabriano, 2016


Tuesday 19 July 2016

2 Shows Opening Next Week

This post is more of an update than anything else concerning titles and opening times.

Thursday July 28th, Westport
The first exhibition is a 2 person show titled Treasures Remebered, showing work by Barbara Trawinski and myself at Custom House Studios and Gallery in Westport, Co. Mayo. This opens at 7:30pm on July 28th and Breda Burns will be a guest speaker on opening night. The show runs until August 21st. I haven't any links for a website to Barbara's work but you will be able to find photographs of the exhibition here at Custom House Studios and Gallery Facebook and further information at Custom House Studios and Gallery

Within the Lonely Rath, Oil on Canvas, 2016


Friday July 29th, Birr
The second exhibition is a new solo show of work and will be part of Birr Arts Festival in County Offaly. The title of this show is To Catch a Certain Fortune and consists of a series of drawings that I have been working on for the past few months. These new works focus on the same folklore theme as my paintings. This show will be in one of the underground tunnels at The Maltings(The Vaults). The launch of the festival is at 6:30pm in Birr Technology Centre.

For more information: Birr Vintage Week and Arts Festival

And here is the Festival Programme

(No Title Yet), Graphite on Paper, 2016



Wednesday 8 June 2016

2 New Exhibitions in July

Custom House Studios, Westport, Mayo. Opening July 28th


I have 2 new shows next month. the first is in Westport, Mayo and it's a joint exhibition between Barbara Trawinski and myself at Custom House Studios. I applied back in 2013 to be part of the exhibition programme and I received confirmation during my first year of the MFA. Originally the show was scheduled for September this year but was brought forward to July 28th and it will run until August 21st. I'll be exhibiting some of the current paintings from Beneath the Dock Leaf.


The New Baal Fires, 2015

There isn't a title as yet but I'll post an update nearer to the opening on the time.



Birr Arts Festival, Birr, Offaly. Opens July 29th


The second exhibition, as far as I know is a solo exhibition in Birr Arts Festival. Francis Kawala who is the organiser of the festival contacted me last weekend about possibly taking part. I had work in it a few years ago and it's a great festival and because a lot of the spaces are vacant buildings it can throw up a few challenges especially the first year I had work in it because there were several of us showing in the vaults underground.

Here's a link to the post from the first year I was in it - Installation Shots of Birr Arts Festival

The work that I'll be showing in Birr will be drawings because the Westport exhibition overlaps and my paintings will be up there. I can't post any images of the drawings because I only started last week and haven't any documentation but I'll probably have an installation post on the blog shortly after the opening. With Westport opening July 28th and Birr, July 29th I'm going to have to juggle installation days in both places.

Saturday 14 May 2016

Solo Show in 2018

I received confirmation last week that my submission to Birr Theatre and Arts Centre, County Offaly was successful. I applied for a solo exhibition and as a rough estimate I've been offered a space for mid April 2018. At the minute I'm working on a new body of paintings still based on folklore and similar to Beneath the Dock Leaf, depending on how the work is going it could be these new works that will be in that show.

The Result of Solitude, Oil on Canvas, 36cm x 25cm, 2015

Tuesday 3 May 2016

2 Paintings in New York

I have 2 paintings going on display this week in a group exhibition at Field Projects Gallery in New York. The exhibition opens on Thursday the 5th of May at 6pm and runs until June 11th. Jesse David Penridge is curating the exhibition and there are 13 of us exhibiting in the show titled Signaling to ^ the Cipher ^ Towards a Segway. The 2 paintings that I have in Field Projects are below:


Half in the World of Form, Oil on Canvas, 55cm x 35cm, 2015



Red, Oil on Canvas, 17cm x 16cm, 2015


This link goes to the gallery website page for the show, it has all exhibiting artists listed and a brief about the theme of the show - Field Projects Gallery.


Tuesday 12 April 2016

Tales from the Forest Issue 1

I have work featured in the first issue of Tales From the Forest. Its a new online magazine and it's going to be published quarterly. The theme of issue 1 is Twisted Tales and Torn Mythologies and it has a work by artists and writers. The link to the website is here - Tales From the Forest and the link to my page is here - my page.

The piece that was selected for the magazine is Half in the World of Form (below)


Tuesday 5 April 2016

Work in Rathdowney

I have work in a group show in St. Fergal's College, Rathdowney. The exhibition is organized by Clodagh Kennedy who is the art teacher in Fergal's and the Transition Year Creative Engagement Team and exhibiting work of past pupils and local artists. It open's on the 6th of April, runs until the 9th and is titled Eclectic Fusion.

Slouching, one of 3 paintings I have on display in the exhibition.

Thursday 31 March 2016

Update on Iceland

I've had to cancel the November residency in Iceland. I received a letter last week and my application for funding wasn't successful and I was dependent on that  to get going. I would've liked to get back and I am disappointed to not be doing the residency but on the up side I am starting a new body of work and I'll be kept busy with that.

The plan in Iceland was to work on sketches and drawings to incorporate Icelandic folklore into my practice and introduce new characters. I will instead be working with new characters based on figures of Irish mythology.

Thursday 3 March 2016

Work in Wexford

Behind the Margin is a new group show opening in The Presentation Centre in Enniscorthy, Wexford tomorrow. There's 4 of us exhibiting in the show, John BusherRiin Kaljurand, Helen Robbins and myself. It opens on the 4th of March the 8th of April.





Monday 22 February 2016

'Get a Real Job' Symposium

On Saturday the 20th of February the Dunamaise Theatre was the venue for a symposium titled Get a Real Job. It was organized by Abbeyleix Further Education Centre and The Dunamaise Arts Centre and involved 9 of us, all past students of the Abbeyleix Centre, speaking about our careers in art since leaving.

It was a really good day because we all got to see what each of us are up to now, also because we got to catch up and also meet artists and designers that I didn't know before. I haven't seen some members of the group in years. We were split into 3 groups, the first group was lead by Jackie Carter and the 3 speakers in that group were Janet O Grady, Laura Amy Dunne and Mary Carroll followed by a Questions and Answers round. 

Our group consisting of all studio artists and oddly all of us named Pat was lead by Jock Nichol. Pat Wallis spoke first, then myself and then Pat Fitzpatrick whose work is going to be installed at The Dunamaise Arts Centre next week after my show closes. Pat Fitzpatrick's show runs from the 4th of March until the 30th of April, the exhibition reception is on the 10th of March and after hearing a little about it at the symposium I think it's going to be an amazing show. We had a Q&A too.

The final group then was lead by Edel O Keefe and the 3 speakers were Heidi Higgins, John Hennessy and Pascal Kenna. After another Q&A round there were a few words said by Jackie, Jock, Edel and Michelle de Forge. 

The links below have some information on the day:



Monday 15 February 2016

'Beneath the Dock Leaf' Video Documentation

I ran through the exhibition during the week and did a little video documentation of the show in The Dunamaise Arts Centre. I meant to do it for the previous showing of Beneath the Dock Leaf  but I forgot to charge my camera battery and I think it's probably more fitting that I captured this one because for the moment it's the last planned solo exhibition of Beneath the Dock Leaf. I'm planning a new project and will start working on that in the next couple of weeks and while it will be the same style and focus on the same themes it will be running under a new working title.

As for Beneath the Dock Leaf, the works in that body will be going out into group shows the first of which is in March at The Presentation Arts Centre in Enniscorthy, County Wexford. The exhibition is curated by artist John Busher.




'Beneath the Dock Leaf' by Pat Byrne from Pat Byrne on Vimeo.

Wednesday 10 February 2016

Installation Shots at Dunamaise Arts Centre

Beneath the Dock Leaf opened on the 14th of January at The Dunamaise Arts Centre in Portlaoise. There was a great crowd at the opening and I got some very positive feedback,  there has also been a good footfall through the gallery since the launch night. I have a few images of the show in this post, none from opening night but just the installation itself.








With the work being so figurative I was really keen to avoid having exact spacing between each work. I had some of them grouped slightly more for this purpose and interaction rather than for any real narrative. 








The Dunamaise is a great space, It;s an open white cube with a skylight that runs the length of the gallery and along with the natural light there are also spotlights too.




There is 2 new paintings in the exhibition since the work was on display at The Hyde Bridge Gallery in Sligo, they're the one just to the left of the door above and the one beside it. The piece beside the door is titled Upon the Lonely Rath and the one beside it is called Slouching. Slouching was originally intended for the Sligo exhibition but it wasn't ready.




Out of the 15 paintings 6 of the paintings were completed during my time on the MFA at The National College of Art and Design, the other 9 are all new. The 3 above were from the MFA and the one below is new and actually was installed while still wet. Upon the Lonely Rath is my first completed painting of 2016.




The build up was really good and the staff at The Dunamaise were great. All I had to do was get the work to the gallery. Michelle de Forge, who is the Centre Director, Nick who is Installation Technician, Laura is Box Office Manager and Lorraine is Head of PR took care of absolutely everything, installation, promotion, invites, they had everything cover and it was a complete pleasure to work with them, they were brilliant.



I was in yesterday just recording some footage of the show and Michelle asked would I be available during the week to talk with the students of Abbeyleix FEC so I went in today (February 10th) to talk about the work and what I've been up to since I finished Abbeyleix almost 10 years ago. I got to catch up with Jackie Carter who is head of the art department and was one of my tutors when I was in the PLC course. I also got to meet Sharon Murphy who is working with the students as part of their work experience and was running a workshop in the space on documenting artwork. I still find it a little bit terrifying talking in front of a group but I think it went fairly well and it was quite laid back.

I'll be updating my website soon with documentation of the new work and any other little adjustments that are needed. As far as studio work goes, I'm currently working on a commission and after that's completed I'll be starting a new body of work based on the same theme and in a similar style to what I'm doing but I'm hoping to push it on a little bit and also introduce new characters.

On the 20th of February I'll be one of 10 artists speaking at a symposium called Get a Real Job. The symposium is organised by Abbeyleix Further Education Centre Art Department in conjunction with The Dunamaise Arts Centre.

Beneath the Dock Leaf runs until the 27th of February.




Thursday 7 January 2016

Exhibition in Dunamaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise

Back in early December I met with Michelle de Forge, director of Dunamaise Arts Centre and Nick who is the centre's technician. We confirmed dates for installation, exhibition opening and possible dates for a talk. I'll be in the gallery to install work on the 11th, 12th and 13th of January with the opening taking place on the 14th at 7pm. The show will run I think for about 6 weeks and for the 27th of February, towards the end of the exhibition, Abbeyleix Further Education Centre are organizing a symposium. Several of us who have previously studied there will be talking about our experience since leaving. I finished in 2005 before moving to Galway so it's just about 10 years.


A Solitary Mountain or Old Ruin, 2015


I'm running with the title of Beneath the Dock Leaf  for this show too as it's mostly the same works from that body of work but I think this is the last show that will be under that title. After this exhibition I will be starting a new project, it will be focused on the same theme and style but I hope to push it on slightly, introduce new characters, which means building new props and possibly scale up the work.


To be About on November Eve, 2015